Financial Problems for Parents Under the Age of 18

In 2006, there were 750,000 reported teenage pregnancies in the US, with California, Texas, New York, Florida and Illinois having the highest rates. Parents under the age of 18 have many financial problems, including inadequate income, the inability to pay for basic needs and not being able to afford quality healthcare.

Inadequate Income

• A long-term financial effect of teenage pregnancy is the inability for some teen mothers to find high-paying jobs because they did not finish high school or attend college. In 2010, over half of single mothers on welfare had babies when they were teens.

Lack of Basic Needs

• Parents under the age of 18 have difficulty paying for basic needs, such as food and shelter, because of their low income. Teen mothers often do not eat properly themselves and, because they are unable to provide for their children, newborns are often hospitalized for poor nutrition and other health problems.

Lack of Quality Health Care

• A teenage mom is less likely to see a doctor during the first three months of pregnancy than older women, partly because she is unable to afford quality health care. Failure to see a doctor can result in inadequate weight gain and poor nutrition during pregnancy, as well as having a low birth-weight baby and an abnormal labor and delivery, all of which directly affect the health of the newborn.